The visit highlighted roughly $30 million in
Choice Neighborhoods grants

awarded to the Seattle Housing Authority to begin redeveloping the public-housing project and improving community services in the neighborhood.

Work on some replacement housing and the Epstein Opportunity Center is expected to be completed this year, according to the Seattle Housing Authority website.

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The Baldwin Apartments will hold 15 housing units while the Epstein Opportunity Center, previously called the Yesler Terrace Steam Plant, will house tutoring services and a Head Start program, among other things.

Redevelopment of the 30-acre site is expected to cost $300 million, financed in part through a sale of some of the land to a private developer. When completed, the project will include both affordable-housing and market-rate units, new parks and street improvements.

In addition, the housing authority is partnering with various agencies to increase health-care, education, job-placement and other services in the neighborhood.

Donovan praised the effort.

“I just want to say congratulations already, thank you, and this work could not be more important to not just this community, but I’m here because this is work that’s important to our nation,” he said.